Amazon Web Services said it plans to invest £8 billion over the next five years building, operating and maintaining data centres in the UK.
In a statement the subsidiary of the US e-commerce and technology giant said its investment is part of a long-term commitment to supporting growth and productivity across the country, and is estimated to contribute £14 billion to the UK's total gross domestic product and support an average of more than 14,000 full-time equivalent jobs on an annual basis at local UK businesses.
It said the jobs are all part of the AWS data centre supply chain, ranging from construction, facility maintenance, engineering and telecommunications.
The subsidiary first launched an AWS Region in the UK in December 2016, and since the start of the decade says it has invested over £3 billion in the UK. Combined with today’s announcement, it will bring its total planned investment in the UK from 2020-28 to more than £11 billion.
The group said its customers include AstraZeneca, Cancer Research UK, Deliveroo, easyJet, EDF, Genomics England, Just Eat, Monzo, Natural History Museum, NatWest Group, Sainsbury’s, Swindon Borough Council, The Very Group, UK Biobank and Zilch.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said in a statement with the release: “This £8 billion Amazon Web Services investment marks the start of the economic revival and shows Britain is a place to do business. I welcome the announcement as part of the Government’s mission to boost growth, unlock investment and make every part of Britain better off.”
Tanuja Randery, vice-president and managing director, Europe, Middle East & Africa at AWS, said: “The next few years could be among the most pivotal for the UK’s digital and economic future, as organisations of all sizes across the country increasingly embrace technologies like cloud computing and AI to help them accelerate innovation, increase productivity, and compete on the global stage.”
Amazon said it now employs 75,000 people in the UK at its data centres, fulfilment centres, sort centres, and delivery stations across over 100 sites, and including more than 25 UK fulfilment centres and corporate offices in six cities.